Antonio Conte is back to London. He will this time be the head coach of Tottenham in order to try to lift a team that are 9th in the Premier League and want to battle in Europe again as they did under Mauricio Pochetino in the past. The Italian coach has signed until 2023 and has the option to extend it for an extra year. He is about to face off one of his most difficult projects ever.
As Mourinho was fired, Tottenham started a search of a coach that the Portuguese never was, a coach that could be able to build from what Pochetino had done and lead the Spurs to a higher stage.
To be the “underdog” of the ‘Big Six’ was not enough for Daniel Levy anymore and he wrongly thought that titles would come along with Mourinho. After Conte’s exit from Inter, Levy already had his favorite candidate and was willing to do anything to get him.
Insufficient demands:
Conte was not going to coach Tottenham under any condition, as he wanted a competitive and first level project, nothing of development and building from the start. His first requirement was to hire technical coach Fabio Paratici, who had been working for Juventus for the last eleven years. Wish granted.
This was not enough yet, as the continuity of Kane was still doubtful and the market for Tottenham in order to look for a substitute striker was going to be limited due to the absence of the team from the Champions League. Conte did not see enough wickers to build a winning team and declined the offer.
Daniel Levy, now with a new technical coach, had to continue his search to find the right person for the job. Fonseca applied for it, an option to take into account due to his youth and good relationship with Paratici, but an agreement was not reached.
Finally the chosen one was Nuno Espírito Santo, who had recently coached the Wolves and so had experience in the Premier League. However, something was not right about this move, as Levy affirmed that he had hired an offensive coach. He had not certainly watched a single game of Nuno in the league.
Ultimátum to Nuno:
His short time as Tottenham’s coach was marked by winning 1-0, many defeats and the poor start of Kane, who seemed to spread it to the rest of the team. Daniel Levy was too patient knowing how he tends to act.
The 0-3 defeat against Manchester United was his final game and this is what Nuno had to say in the postgame press conference: “We must be strong and accept it”. This message seemed more directed towards him than the team itself.
Conte was the main candidate again, and this time he looked convinced. Maybe the stay of Kane and signs like Romero made him change his mind. Fabio Paratici is the most excited about the new coach: “I know first hand the qualities that Conte can add to us, as I worked with him at Juventus, and I hope to see his job with our talented group of players”.
Antonio Conte has not moved to the North of London for a project transition, but instead to battle for the top spots and return Tottenham to the Champions League. The difficulty and demands are higher, but there is still plenty of season left.
Translated by Guillermo Bermejo.
Main image: @SpursOfficial
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